| Description |
- BACKGROUND: Slings with abduction pillows are used by surgeons in the postoperative rehabilitation protocol for arthroscopic rotator cuff repair (ARCR); however, there is a lack of evidence demonstrating superior outcomes. The purpose of this study is to compare Patient-Reported Outcomes (PROs) and range of motion (ROM) in patients with ARCR for small tears managed in slings with and without abduction pillows postoperatively.
METHODS: All ARCR performed from April 2019 and May 2023 in a single institution were retrospectively reviewed to identify primary repairs of small cuff tears with ≥12 months follow up who underwent 4-6 weeks of sling immobilization. Until June 2021 all patients received abduction pillows, when this practice was ceased. The primary outcomes of interest were PROs, ROM, and complications. A p-value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
RESULTS: This retrospective review included 73 patients, 35 were immobilized with an abduction pillow and 38 without. The mean follow-up was 26.7 ± 10.8 months. The mean age of the patients was 58.0 ± 11.5 years, and 54.0% were female. At final follow-up, there were no significant differences in VAS pain (p = 0.32), Single Answer Numerical Evaluation (p = 0.16), and American Shoulder Elbow Scores (p = 0.08); nor was there a difference in PROMIS Physical Function, Pain, and Depression scores between the two cohorts. There were no clinically or statistically significant differences in the final range of flexion, abduction, and external rotation. There were two re-operations in both cohorts (p = 0.93), while one patient failed to achieve 90o of postoperative flexion in the pillow group (p = 0.29). There was one 90-day readmission in the pillow group compared to two in the no-pillow group (p = 0.60).
CONCLUSION: Compared to sling with abduction pillow immobilization, sling-only immobilization following ARCR for small tears is associated with equivalent PROs and ROM. Therefore, sling-only immobilization may be used safely for postoperative rehabilitation when managing small rotator cuff tears without an apparent change in outcomes.
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